ApproxIt – Service Estimate Builder

FAQ

Does ApproxIt Lite send any data to third-party servers?

No. Lite is fully self-contained. The customer-facing form posts to your own WordPress site via standard WordPress AJAX (admin-ajax.php). Lead notifications are sent via wp_mail() from your own server. Lite makes zero outbound calls to external services.

If you later install ApproxIt Pro, Pro features (Google Maps drawing, AI analysis, SMS, SendGrid email) use third-party APIs that you connect with your own API keys — those services are disclosed in the Pro plugin’s own settings.

Where are leads stored?

Each submitted lead becomes a private custom post type (ax_lead) in your WordPress database. They’re never sent off-site. Deleting the plugin via the WordPress admin removes all leads, estimators, options, and meta.

How do I add the estimator to a page?

You have two equally good options:

• Block (recommended): Edit any page or post, click the (+) button, search for “ApproxIt Estimator”, and select which estimator to display. Place it anywhere in your layout — it behaves like any other block.
• Shortcode: Paste [approxit id="42"] (with your own estimator’s ID) into any page, post, sidebar widget, or theme template that runs shortcodes.

Why aren’t my estimate emails arriving?

Email deliverability depends entirely on how your hosting provider relays mail. On most shared hosts and on WP Engine, the default PHP mail() transport is unauthenticated and lands in spam (or gets silently dropped) for Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo recipients.

We strongly recommend installing a free transactional SMTP plugin alongside ApproxIt and connecting it to a service that signs outgoing mail with SPF and DKIM:

• WP Mail SMTP — broadest provider support.
• FluentSMTP — fully free, supports SES/SendGrid/Mailgun/SMTP2GO.
• Post SMTP — OAuth support for Gmail and Outlook accounts.

Whichever you pick, your From Email under Estimators → Settings must live on a domain you’ve authenticated with your SMTP provider (e.g. estimates@yourbusiness.com, not a Gmail address). Mismatched domains are the #1 reason customer receipts get quarantined.

How does Lite scoring decide hot / warm / cold?

Pure rules — no AI:

• Value (0–30 pts): highest single-period total on the estimate.
• Contact completeness: +20 if phone provided, +15 if address provided.
• Scope: +10 for 2+ services selected, +5 if any add-ons selected.
• Tier: Hot ≥ 70, Warm ≥ 40, Cold < 40.

You can override any lead’s score manually from the leads dashboard.

Can I customize the form copy?

Yes. Each estimator has editable Form Title and Form Subtitle fields (shown above the service list on the public form). Leave them blank to use the defaults (“What do you need?” / “Select all the services you’re interested in.”).

Does it work with my theme?

Yes. The public form uses scoped CSS variables (--ax-accent, etc.) so it inherits your theme’s brand color when configured, and falls back to its own clean defaults otherwise. The form is fully responsive — single-column on mobile, two-column on desktop.

Can I have more than one estimator on the same site?

Yes — build as many as you need. Each has its own services, packages, project questions, accent color, and shortcode/block ID. Useful if you have distinct service lines (e.g. one for residential, one for commercial) or run multiple brands under one site.

Can I export my leads?

Yes — Estimators → Leads has CSV and JSON export buttons. CSV opens cleanly in spreadsheets and most CRMs; JSON preserves the full estimate breakdown for richer imports.

What happens if I uninstall the plugin?

Deleting the plugin from the WordPress admin (not just deactivating it) runs the bundled uninstall.php, which removes:

• All estimator and lead custom posts and their meta.
• All ax_* plugin options (notification recipients, email toggles, business phone, internal flags).
• All ax_* transients and user-meta entries.

Deactivating without deleting leaves all your data intact for when you reactivate.